Astia has launched a $100mn early stage venture fund to address gender disparities in funding.
In Brief:
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The Astia Fund is led by an investment from Mastercard.
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Astia is an organisation that aims to “redefine” the venture capital landscape.
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It aims to support companies with at least one woman in an executive, equity-holding position.
What does this mean?
Astia currently invests in companies based on its Asita Expert Sift which is used to eliminate bias on the grounds of age, race, gender and geography.
With the new fund, Mastercard says it is committed to helping drive a more inclusive, sustainable economy. Other organisations involved are Farvatn Venture, Portola Creek Capital and Tides Foundation.